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FIBA World Champions Australia are out Hosting the FIBA World Championship has had a positive effect on the Czech Republic who ran out winners against the reigning World Champions (79-68) with 27 points coming from Eva Vitecková. Hana Horáková contributed 21 points, 3 assists and 3 steals to the victory. For Liz Cambage the game ended in tears despite leading the team with 22 points. She had suffered a quarter-final defeat with the Australian gems during the 2009 U19 World Championship. Lauren Jackson was the only other player in double digits. The Czech Republic went 10-of-21 from beyond the arc while Australia managed just 4 from the same number of attempts. You can read our match report below:  Playing at home has its perks at the FIBA World ChampionshipThe match started at an electric pace with end-to-end basketball. The hosts scored through Hana Horáková. However Australia responded immediately with Kristi Harrower and Liz Cambage.
The Australians did not let the crowd get to them with Hollie Grima tying the game (11-11). The match became very intense as neither side gave an inch and players were made to work hard for their points. Australia managed to edge in front by the end of the quarter after a trey by Tully Bevilaqua and 2 points from Cambage (18-15). The second quarter became a match between Cambage (right) and the hosts as the battle in the paint became more intense. The Czech went in front through Ivana Večeřová from the charity stripes. Then Penny Taylor managed to level the score with a powerful drive to the basket.
Australia were raffled and if not for Cambage were almost blown away. Yet they went into the interval leading (35-32). The second half got off to an explosive start with Kulichová hitting a jumper from the top of the key for the hosts. This was quickly followed by Lauren Jackson blocking Vitecková before Verecová scored for the hosts. Carrie Graf called for a time-out immediately. But nothing changed as the Czech Republic scored again to go 10 points clear (42-32) with just over 22 minutes played. Cambage and Jackson were forced to battle hard under the baskets at both ends of the court as the hosts refused to be intimidated by their height. The Australians with Jackson were taking command and started to chip away at the deficit while the hosts held on to the lead thanks to the hustling of Hana Horáková (47-42) with three minutes left to play in the quarter. A time-out by the Czech Republic was called for Vitecková to hit immediately a three-pointer. However with Jenna O’Hea, Cambage and Jackson going to work, Australia went into the final quarter trailing by a single point (51-52). The Czech Republic went into overdrive at the start of the final quarter with back to back treys by Horáková. The hosts were soon 10 points clear again after Vitecková fired in from the land of many (63-53). Australia's difficulty in scoring at close range started to get to them as they committed unnecessary fouls that allowed the Czech Republic to lead by 12 points (69-57) with just under four minutes to play. Australia did not manage to come back: the defending FIBA World Champions are out (68-79).
Summary of day 7 at the FIBA World Championship Return to FIBA World Championship page GO Back to the top of the page FIBA World Championship picture credit: womensbasketball-in-france.comDate created: 01 October 2010
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Katerina Elhotová got the hosts on their feet with a shot from downtown. The Czech Republic was not letting anything go. Petra Kulichová needed three attempts to get past the Australian wall to score for the host to lead (9-6) with 3 ½ minutes played.
But the momentum was with the hosts. A trey by Manaková was enough to get the home supporters on their feet. Eva Vitecková (left) joined in the action with 6 consecutive points for the hosts.
